Major fire north of Athens: Several villages evacuated

Several villages and towns in the Varnavas and Marathon area were evacuated. Accompanied by fire engines and police, hundreds of residents were brought to safety, as Greek television showed.

Flames rise 25 meters high

A fire department spokesman told Greek radio: “The flames are more than 25 meters high.” Shortly before sunset, 15 firefighting planes and 11 helicopters were in action, the fire department announced. “It will be a long night,” a fire department officer told reporters on site. Several hundred firefighters and numerous volunteers are on duty, it was said.

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